Nail setting tool



May 29, 1934. E NADELMAN 1,960,390

NAIL SETTING TOOL Filed June 27, 1953 l i w Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT orrie The object of my invention is to improve hammers and like tools in such manner that they shall be adapted to temporarily hold the nail in the body of the tool, so that the nail may be conveniently driven or set into the surface into which it is being driven, by using one hand only, in the operation of driving, and to facilitate the driving of nails at places beyond the reach of the hand, also to avoid the hazard of injury to the fingers of the operator, which the use of the ordinary nail driving tools involve.

The invention consists of a tool the body portion of which is formed with a nail holding slot, and balls in such manner that the nail is tem- "I porarily held in the tool until the nail is driven or set into the surface into which it is being nailed; the invention being of such nature that the tool is in nowise rendered less useful for its ordinary uses by reason of the invention applied thereto.

The invention is applicable to tools of many different kinds, but is particularly adapted for the use of hammers and hatchets used by carpenters.

I do not consider it essential to a complete understanding of my invention that every embodiment thereof should be shown, and accordingly in the accompanying drawing have only shown it as applied to a claw hammer.

In said drawing, Figure l is a view of one side of a hammer having my invention applied thereto; Figure 2 is a top view of a hammer; Figure 3 is a cross section on the lines 33 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 9-4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an end view; Figure 6 is a cross section on the line 66 of Figure 2.

In the drawing A represents the tool body having the ordinary end striking head or face ;a. In the body A, preferably in the shank or portion which terminates in the face a, is

formed the nail holding slot 7 which extends longitudinally any desired length along the body A, and inwardly slightly beyond the center line of the shank.

In order to receive the head of a nail, the slots numbered 6 are formed transversely to slot '7, and cuts the inner surfaces of slot 7 to a depth suificient to accommodate the nail head. The extremities of slots 6 and 7 while being shown as being square on the drawing, I do not intend to limit myself to the slots being cut square, but the extremities of the slots may also be rounded.

The purpose of the several slots numbered 6 is to receive and hold nails of different lengths. These slots are so formed that the nail head lies in slot 6, and the nail lies in slot 7. Slot 6 functions as a support for the nail head when the tool is raised, and acts as a driving head on the downward stroke of the tool.

The nail slots 6 and 7 may be formed in any face of the tool body, as found most desirable; but in a hammer shown in the drawing the side is the preferred place.

In order that the nail shall remain in slots 6 and 7 while the tool is raised or lowered, a boring 9 is made to receive one or more balls 8. These borings 9 to be made on opposite sides of slot '7 and perpendicular to slot 7, but the borings need not be opposite each other. These borings 9 may be of uniform diameter or chamfered at its extremity 10 where it meets slot 7. The boring 9 is closed at the face of the tool with a tap screw 5, to retain the balls 8 in the borings 9 and to facilitate the replacement of parts.

The ball 8 moving freely falls in front of the nail which is in slot 7, on either the downward stroke or upward stroke of the tool; thereby holding the nail within the tool until the nail is driven or set into the surface, then by moving the tool sidewise the ball 8 is forced back into the boring 9 releasing the nail from slots 6 and 7 automatically. There may be several borings 9 depending on the various sizes of nails used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A nail driving implement, comp-rising an elongated shank having a driving head, a longitudinal recess, extending into the shank and head, said recess being substantially greater in depth than the largest diameter of nail shank to be received therein, a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse recesses extending into said shank and intersecting said longitudinal recess, said transverse recesses being of a width greater than the diameter of nail heads to be received therein, transverse bores spaced from and located between certain of said transverse recesses and intersecting said longitudinal recess, at a distance from the bottom of said longitudinal recess greater than the diameter of said nail shank, and means in said bores for removably retaining said nail shank in place at the bottom of said longitudinal recess, While starting the nail in the driving operation.

2. A nail driving implement comprising an elongated shank having a driving head, a longitudinal recess extending into the shank and head Jil lib

beyond the longitudinal axis thereof for receiving a nail shank substantially in alignment with said axis, said recess being substantially greater in depth than the largest diameter of nail shank to be received therein, a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse recesses extending into said shank and intersecting said longitudinal recess, said transverse recesses being of a width greater than the diameter of nail heads to be received therein, transverse bores spaced from and located between certain of said transverse recesses and intersecting said longitudinal recess at a distance from the bottom of said longitudinal recess greater than the diameter of said nail shank, and means in said bores for removably retaining said nail shank in place at the bottom of said longitudinal recess while starting the nail in the driving operation.

3. A nail driving implement combining the following elements, a longitudinal recess extending longitudinally into the shank of the implement, for receiving a nail shank substantially in alignment with the axis of the implement shank, said recess being substantially greater in depth than the largest diameter of nail shank to be received therein, a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse recesses extending into said shank and intersecting said longitudinal recess, said transverse recesses being of a Width greater than the diameter of nail heads to be received therein; the said implement shank being pierced by transverse bores spaced from and located between certain of said transverse recesses and intersecting said longitudinal recess at a distance from the bottom of said longitudinal recess greater than the diameter of said nail shank, and means in said bores for removably retaining said nail shank in place at the bottom of said longitudinal recess while starting the nail in the driving operation.

ELIAS NADELMAN. 

